Community
 
spacer
Household hazardous waste collections
Program for rural communities designed to help keep the environment clean
ReUSE Household Products

Products for the lawn and garden, automotive lubricants, cleaners, paints, and solvents are found in most homes.

Improper disposal of these and other household hazardous products can pose a threat to health, and contaminate land, air and water supplies. LCRA's Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Education Program teaches the safe and proper management of these materials and collaborates with local governmental entities to provide opportunities for the public to properly dispose of them.

LCRA teamed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to develop the comprehensive program to help rural communities manage home chemicals and household hazardous wastes. Among the goals: to inform the public about how to properly and safely manage home chemicals and collect these materials to prevent the contamination of the environment — especially to water resources.

The household hazardous waste program has become an important part of LCRA's community service initiative and comprehensive watershed management effort.

The program also reaches into elementary schools to teach kids about the importance of protecting the environment, and how to identify and safely manage home chemicals in their home.

Record collection
In 2006, the program helped collect 111,000 pounds of household hazardous chemical materials and 218,000 pounds of recyclables – such as tires, batteries, oil, latex paint — at events for Bastrop, Llano, Burnet, San Saba, and Matagorda counties.

The April 22, 2006, Burnet-Llano-San Saba collection was the largest since the program was launched in 1992 — with more than 1,100 households participating. Fifty tons of recyclable materials (including used tires, lead-acid batteries, oil, paint, and electronic components) were collected and properly disposed. Also, 40 tons of household hazardous chemical waste (including pesticides, paints, flammables, corrosives, toxics) was collected.

In helping local groups sponsor one-day waste collections, LCRA provides assistance with sponsorship and community fundraising, media and public awareness, school-based education, product exchanges, and collection and disposal.

Community involvement and technical assistance

  • LCRA works with communities and county governments within its statutory area (Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Colorado, Fayette, Lampasas, Llano, Matagorda, San Saba, and Wharton counties) to provide household hazardous waste collections.
  • LCRA provides technical assistance and education programs throughout its service area. LCRA and the Capital Area Planning Council (CAPCOG) developed the Central Texas Household Hazardous Waste Program to help communities start a HHW or recycling program, or expand an existing program. See news release. For more information, contact LCRA.

 

A cooperative effort
LCRA's household hazardous waste program is conducted in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which sponsors a statewide Household Hazardous Waste Management Program and the Agricultural Waste Pesticide Collection Program.

The City of Austin also offers a household hazardous waste collection site that is open exclusively to Austin and Travis County residents.

For more information: See the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Hazardous Waste page. 
UPCOMING COLLECTIONS

LCRA is sponsoring or cooperating on these upcoming collections. Note: some collections are sponsored by the Capital Area Planning Council of Governments (CAPCOG) or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

  • April 26, Burnet-Llano-San Saba counties
    Event service area: Residents of these three counties
    Location: LCRA Western District Complex, Texas Highway 29 and R.R. 1431, Llano County
    Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    See flyer for more information
  • October 18, 2008, Bastrop County
    Event service area: Residents of Bastrop County
    Location:     Three collection sites in Elgin, Bastrop and Smithville.
    More details to come.
TIPS

Ways to manage household hazardous waste (HHW):

  • Reduce: Buy only the amount needed to do the job.
  • Reuse: If you have a product that is usable, but you don't need or want to use it, give it to a neighbor, friend or relative who will use it.
  • Paint estimate worksheet: If you are not sure how much paint you need for the job, use the paint estimate worksheet. This will help reduce HHW and save you money.

PDF documents require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.